Wednesday, April 24, 2013

New $100 Bills Due Out in October

The latest US one hundred dollar bill is now due out in October.

It had suffered through several glitches that delayed it's production, from it's initial release date of April 2010.

New bills will be released once an inventory of 3.6 billion bills has been reached.

Currently about nine billion hundred dollar bills are in use, throughout the world. 

Hundred dollar bills are the most widely used and counterfeited, outside of the US, so a lot of effrt went into making the new bills "counterfeit proof".

The new security ribbon contains images of bells and the numeral "100" that move as the note is turned.

Another feature is a picture of the Liberty Bell that changes colors from copper to green and disappears into an inkwell image when it’s tilted.

Bills last about fifteen years before they become too worn to be circulated any more.

Clashes in Iraq Leave 35 Dead

A second day of clashes between Iraqi soldiers and Sunni militants has left thirty-five dead.

Fifty-six were killed, on Tuesday, when violence broke out after troops tried clearing a protest camp.

Most of Wednesday's violence took place in Qara Tappah and Baghdad.

Seven soldiers and a police officer died fighting off the attacks made by the Al Qaeda linked militants.

Nine of the dead were civilians, most of whom were at a bus station when a car bomb went off.

5.7 Quake Rattles Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan

A 5.7 earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan, on Wednesday.

It was felt as far away as New Delhi, India.

The quake caused damage in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Nine people were killed and one hundred and fifteen injured.

Hardest hit was the Nargarhar Province of Afghanistan, where many buildings are demolished.

96 Dead in Bangladesh Building Collapse

An eight story building collapsed in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on Wednesday.

Officials say that at least two thousand people were in the building, when it came crashing down.

Five garment factories, a market, and other businesses were housed inside of the structure.

Ninety-six people are confirmed dead.

Hundreds of emergency workers and soldiers are working to clear the rubble and rescue those trapped.

Building inspectors had told the owners of the building that there were cracks, on Tuesday, but they were ignored.

Bird Flu Spreads to Taiwan as it Mutates

Twenty-two people have now died from the H7N9 strain of bird flu.

In China, there have been one hundred and eight cases of the disease.

H7N9 has now spread to a second country, as Taiwan has reported a case of it.

It is believed to now be spreading person to person, though at a very limited level.

To make matters worse, scientists are saying that the strain is now mutating, making itself unaffected by antivirals.

If the mutations continue H7N9 could very well become something that there is no known cure for.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

AP Twitter Account Hacked Causing Wall Street Scare

On Tuesday, The Associated Press' Twitter account was hacked.

The hackers only made one tweet, before Twitter suspended the account.

However, that one tweet made headlines as it stated that President Obama had been injured in explosions at the White House.

Every other news source around the world rushed to check the information, and within moments it had been confirmed to be false.

Wall Street had one of the most blatant displays of the effect that the news had.

The Dow Jones dropped about one hundred and fifty points within moments of the false tweet.

Within minutes of the news being proven false, it had reclaimed those points.

41 Killed in Fighting Between Militants and Iraqi Soldiers

At least forty-one people were killed in violent clashes between Iraqi soldiers and Sunni militants.

Security forces raided a Sunni protest camp in Hawija.

Three soldiers and twenty-five militants died in clashes there.

Seventy-five were arrested and the camp was burned.

More militants responded by attacking out posts in Riyadh and Rashad.

Another thirteen militants were killed in the fighting there.

The militants are linked with Al Qaeda, but not directly part of the terrorist organization.

French Embassy in Libya Bombed

A car bomb targeted the French embassy in Tripoli, Libya, on Tuesday.

Two guards were injured in the blast, which did some damage the building.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack, but it is believed to be the work of Islamist militants angry over France's involvement in Mali.

The French entered Mali, in January, to stop Al Qaeda from taking over the country.

France helped Libyans over throw Muammar Qaddafi, by launching air strikes against Qaddafi's troops.

US Army: Private First Class Barrett L. Austin

Private First Class Barrett L. Austin, twenty of Easley, South Carolina, died on April 21, in Landstuhl, Germany, from wounds sustained.

His vehicle was hit by an IED, on April 17, in Wardak Province, Afghanistan.

Austin had been assigned to the 4th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, out of Fort Stewart, Georgia.

Monday, April 22, 2013

Colorado House Passes 2 More Gun Bills

The Colorado House of Representatives passed two more gun bills, on Monday.

One requires people prove their ability to use a handgun, in person, before being granted an online permit.

That bill will now head to Governor Hickenlooper.

The second establishes a process for guns to be taken away from domestic offenders.

Despite it's being passed, there are still amendments connected to it, that need to be agreed upon, before it can continue on.